The Emporia weekly news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1881-1889, 1887-01-20
-POCKETED THE Louis.
Ez-Minister WashOurne Charged With
Using
His Position for Gain During the
Seige of Paris
By Sending Mail Through the Ger
man Lines.
A Baggage Car Blown Up by a Dyna-
mite Trunk.
Sheriff MatsOn Refuses to Allow the
Marriage of Spies.
ws,hhurns,, Rsn,n,.espos..


NEW YORK, Jan. 1S.-A Paris special
TO the Times says that the publication In
Scribnsr's magazine of ex-Minister WASH
burne's "reminiseenct Of the serge and
commune IN PSris'' has created . good
deal of indignation In France, and the
comment OF the LIE Figaro that "Wash.
burne shows very little sympathy for rs"
may be fairly accepted as expressing the
general sentiment here IN retaliation for
what the French consider as uncslled for
insinuaIions in the reminiacences. WASH
hurne's record as minister ot the United
States in Paris during the siege Of that
city has been Overhauled. Some Of the
stories told in connection with his action
during these troublous times, If
true, do not rebound exactly
10 his credit as diplomaIist
OF a friendly power. The most cOmprO-
nisiug Of them have been told by Prince
De WI tgensteiD, who was a military at
tsche TO the Russian legation in Paris
during the siege, a"d who occupied the
same relation TO the French and German
armies, as the bond of communication,
that WaahbuTns did to the diplomats shut
up III Paris and the German chancellor.
The princes story is we'll worth repeating,
If only 10 give Washburne a chance to
contradict IT. Before and during the
siege of Paris Prince De WitLgeDsteiD,
who is the husband of Princess De Min
grelIe, had his official residence ~ No.
12O Champs ElyseeS. One day, he says,
two ladies appeared and delivered to his
valet two letters, accompanied by
two louis. The letters were ad-
dressed to relatives Of the ladies
in the provinces and the Russian general
was somewhat astOnished when his ValeI
presented them to him, with the gold. He
began to sniff u mystery, but it was insolv-
able to him until the following day, when
the ladies appeared again snd asked tor
return of the letters and money. They
told the prince that they had made mis-
ta6e. They had been informed that he
had made of himself y kind of German
postOfnce that exchanged letters daily
with Versailles; that on the payment of
twenty francs (about four dollars) he used
his facilities to forward letters
through the German lines to
spokesman, EEwe have made Q mistake.
1t was In the Rue de Chsillot, at the
United States legation, that letters are
rakeD." The prince says he returned the
letters and money, and decided TO Ste II
the story of the women was true. Next
day, and for several days after, IN order 10
satisfy himself, he sent letters and twenty
franc pieces TO the legation presided over
by Washburne, who pocketed the louis
and sent forward the letters. Washburne,
il is asserted, took no pains to ind out
what the letters contained, and. FOR
all be knew, information TO the German
commanders besieRiDg Paris of the con-
dItIon of the defense might have been sent
out daily through his profitable postoff1ce.
How much money he made by this thrifty
but scarcely diplomatic stroke of business
nobody but himself knows. but for the
truth of the story Prince DeWittgenstein
stands ready to vouch.